NZ Centre for Political Research

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe our politicians are taking the international economic risks seriously enough?

*The time will come when we will have to pay the Piper!! People must learn that we cant have what we cant pay for. John

*They have just given themselves a pay rise - out of this world. Tony

*No, due primarily to MMP which prevents hard decisions being made, having said that I dread to think where we would be now had Labour/Green stayed in, big worry also is the Winston First party is getting some traction from the tea party so don't be surprised if the blue and red cell phones reappear after election night. John

*They are more interested in buying votes with big promises of an easier life with no responsibilities. Joan

*National are doing their best, but the rest are living with the fairies. Lloyd

*The politicians view is the Tax payer has a bottomless pocket and so what if you upset them. Dave

*Of course not. Michael

*Unfortunately, polititians are only interested in one thing, and that is political power. It really dosen't matter to them how much of our money they promise because their promises don't mean diddly squat anyway, as we have seen over the last many years. Well it seems that most every party wants to tax the crap out of the "rich" to sustain the "poor". The big leveller which sounds more and more like communisim every day. There is a point where the wealthy say "It is no longer any use us doing business in NZ because we are so heavily taxed, so we are out of here!" So everyone will earn the same (except the maoris) and get to retire at 65 (except the maoris who will retire at 60, or maybe 55, or maybe 50, or maybe never even have to work at all !!!! Neil

*Typically good article Muriel. David

*They certainly do not appear to be anyway. Its like they don't want to frighten Joe Public with too much talk of the economic crises. Trina

*Of course not. To explain to the electorate the true facts of the matter and introduce the austerity policies that are required takes integrity and courage. With the exception of Don Brash, these qualities are sorely lacking in our politicians. The policies being promoted by labour, greens, maori and mana demonstrate a complete lack of honesty. And the fact that a good deal of the electorate believe what they are being told by these parties shows just how dumb the average Kiwi really is. Ronmac

*Most politicians would seem not to know what a economic risk was if it leapt up and bit them on the arse. I say bring back First past the Post and throw the buggers out! Peter

*I see NZ heading down the road to the trouble Italy is in. This will be a big test of international relationships. World recession is likely, every western & european country will need to help them to recover, if they can? Tim

*National are, Labour and Greens no. NZ First no. Andrew

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe our politicians are taking the international economic risks seriously enough?

*Absolutely not. To get out of debt by increasing borrowing even in the New Zealsnd context is wrong. In that of the world financial situation it is beyond ludicrous. Peter

*Of course not!! All they are interested in is a meal ticket for the next 3 years. Maurice

*They are trying to buy votes. Frank

*1. None of the major parties pre-election policy has any practical solutions to increasing production.
2. Mr English knows the realities but is obviously prevented from speaking them on the election trail for fear of the National Party losing votes.
3. The EU will progressively come apart, the debt ridden countries will default on their debt loans and the banking system will collapse due lack of liquidity. The banks have not considered high enough risks when lending to sovereign countries - thus have extended too much credit.
4. Under these economic realities major NZ parties still are intending to borrow in an unsustainable sense. There may even by problems associated with high borrowing rates due to reducing equity elsewhere. Nick

*No! Too busy trying to bribe voters in the pre-election lolly scramble! Frank

*New Zealand politicians are digging deeper into taxpayer pockets and promising to spend more, as stated in Election 2011 article "storm clouds gather on the horizon", which is totally the wrong way to go about this matter! Nico

*Having said no, I must point out that most of our representative political parties plying their wares, still think that they can tax and spend endlessly. Goff, Turia, Harawira, Norman ... greedy, grasping and dangerous zealots. How dare they expect ordinary hardworking people, who scrimp and save all their lives to pay for the lazy, duplicitous, profligate intellectual dwarves that make up the bottom rungs of our society. Unhappily ... the bottom rungs of our society are expanding because we pay them to breed. How bizaar! Dianna

*As usual, their main focus is on keeping their jobs, perks and lucrative super - at the taxpayers' expense. Fiona

*Thought it was emus that had their heads in the sand, not kiwis? Christopher

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe our politicians are taking the international economic risks seriously enough?

*Our over educated academic advisors seem to be devoid of common sense. It is imperative that we increase, or introduce more overseas income earning ventures. No government can continue to borrow and raise taxes without going bankrupt. Malcolm

*Our pollies are apparently totally blind to the parlous state of the world's economies. Of course they are unable to see beyond the next election - as long as they can buy their way in for another term, they are happy. They couldn't give a damn that they are selling us all down the road to ruin and anarchy. And anarchy is precisely where we are headed. Ron

*They all seem to be only interested in their agendas. Trixie

*Generally, No, but I think a a couple are trying to make some sort of balance. Ted

*But it wouldn't matter either way, as the Globalists have designed both the economic "crisis" and the disconnected responses of their trough-feeding politicos that we get to "elect" in order to push us into global governance. Another 5 or 10 years, and we will see the emergence of the global socialist super-state. Oh joy - I can hardly wait... Peter

*All the parties are doing the usual pre-election spend-up. Of course, most of them will never have to Govt and so can make such outrageous promises knowing they will never have to implement them. Gary

*They all appear to be oblivious to the horror unfolding in the rest of the world. Frederick

*But I wonder, is that because of some globalist hidden agenda. Kevin

*Only the National party sems to understand the NZ predicament. All the others are trying to buy votes with unfunded dollar promises. It is unsustainable! Bob

*They are hiding their heads in the sand thinking it will go away and as we are so far away will not affect us. If Countries do not have any funds to pay for our goods then we cannot sell and it is our Agriculture goods that are keeping us afloat at present..
I can remember when we were farming, a number of years ago Russia could not pay NZ for our wool and I wonder if we ever did get paid. The rule NO MONEY NO GOODS. MARYLIN

*The government is taking it seriously alright. The trouble is that they are not sharing the facts with the NZ voters in case they 'scare the horses'. Democracy is a fading idea in 21st. Century New Zealand. We have two socialist parties battling for the levers of power. BOTH Labour and National are not democratic institutions. Labour never has been and now National has followed suit by changing its constitution earlier in the decade to give power to the executive when selecting candidates and disenfranchising the grass roots. Hence the increasing leftist slant from many national cabinet ministers and back benchers. WE have the choice of a socialist Labour party with occasional pragmatism in economic matters and a socialist lite National Party. MMP is a failed system that increases Statist power whereever it has been applied. Germany endorced it to keep the NAZI and Fascists out of power after the second world war. Look at every MMP based electoral system worldwide and you will find a failing economy and a rise in the fascist left, Germany being the exception and only for historical reasons that would need another page to discuss. The Left in NZ was gagging for MMP as were politicians who wanted power to manipulate the electorate through inside party room jack ups. The final nail in New Zealand's coffin was when the party power extended to candidate selection. This covert move has cemented the power of the party over democracy. Vale NZ freedom. Key is an incremental socialist in drag. The only difference between National in the 21st. Century , Labour and the Fascist socialist Greens..... is TIMING. My kids have already voted with their feet. NZ will be a low pay socially ruined, amoral, poorly educated, socialist hell hole with nice scenery in 50 years. Peter

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe our politicians are taking the international economic risks seriously enough?

*No they aren't ...... We have all been conned, “Smiley Faces Inc.” (Key and Bennett) have been hand picked to front the public, flash their pearly whites and woo the crowd and I'm afraid it seems to be working for them. All the false smiles, factory visits and baby kissing in the world can not disguise our actual financial situation (borrow, borrow and borrow some more), of course we are in trouble, have a think for a minute how your household would fare if you acted in the same irresponsible way ...... you would be BROKE. These clowns are just spinning it out until the 26th, if they get back in it'll be more of the same but with a lot more pain to Joe Public, if they lose they either go back to being in opposition (still on a fat salary) OR in Keys case, back to playing his financial "games" with his mates, whatever way it goes it's win win for them and once again we are the suckers. I hope all eligible NZérs get out and vote this year and I also hope that they think very very carefully about putting this lot back in power. Tony

*In essence budgeting for the country is similar to budgeting for a family. How many advisors would tell a family that the way to get out of debt is to borrow more money? Peter

*Don Brash is the closest to getting it right. Colin

*They are looking to address sovereign debt which is well and good but none of the parties has given a cogent strategy for addressing private sector and household debt. Mark

*They are in cloud cukoo land!! The RWC timing was brilliant Mr Key. Peter

*NO - they are mainly - except for ACT - concentrating as usual on puttin bribes to the largely gormless voting public. Deeply worrying. John

*"Whatever it takes" - the politicians catchall. Are we silly enough to believe them?? Ken

*Our electoral process is riddled with confusion, self-interest objectives, stupidity and ignorance. Poor old New Zealand. Murray

*You can see why the main political parties and media commentators hate Don Brash. He is the only major political figure in New Zealand politics advocating fiscal prudence. Would you run your own finances the way these wallies would run the country's finances. Someday the chickens will come home to roost. John

*Not in an Election year!!! Also our politicians refuse to accept that Government spending is out of control. What is required in the next government is some responsibility on our overseas borrowing. We have got to start living within our means. The only way to get out of this financial mess is to increase our agricultural production to feed the ever increasing world population. For that to happen the Green Party must be destroyed or nullified. Brian

*We are entering the worst global depression the world has ever seen and the majority of the politicians are economic morons who have no understanding or concept of the severity of the coming events and even if they did, they wouldn't have a clue as to how to deal with it. Don't look to the morons to fix things or tell you what to do, educate yourself about what is really going on and prepare... QUICKLY!!! Robert

*Whilst they are still giving Maori Treaty Settlements in the hundreds of millions I don't believe they care about the rest of NZers. Geoff

*I do not think many of them have the capacity to appreiate the significance of this. Reduce spending and become a creditor nation. Do what you can afford to pay. Selling Gov. assets is not the correct way forward. Mike

This week's poll asks:

Do you believe our politicians are taking the international economic risks seriously enough?

*It is so much easier to put your head in the sand like an ostrich and hope that this economic ill wind to blow over than to have to take impopular moves to help NZ out of the rut. That might cost votes and they all cling to their cosy seats in Wellington. But unfortunately this ill wind will not blow over and after the election whichever party or coalition wins they will have to make and take harsh measures unless they want NZ to end up like one of the PIGS states. EJ

*The only exception is Dr Brash. John

*The media could take a lead and ask some searching questions re the world economy and our election, rather than hammer on about a taped conversation and other trivial tripe! Willy

*Most of the politicians are spendthrifts. They think the only thing that matters is bribing us with our own money. They don't realise that most of us would prefer lower taxes and fewer handouts. Michael

*No none of the parties are really prepared for an economic collapse. Just look at the spending plans from parties like the Greens - unbelievable really. Sandy

What with the Rugby World Cup and now the election, the real world and bad news doesn't get a look in. It really is pretty bad out there so pretending that everything is OK really is denial! Trevor

*Nothing would stop the socialists spending like wounded bulls! Kim